Posted on 08/09/2004 12:12:43 PM PDT by knighthawk
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday a U.S. deal with Denmark to upgrade a radar in northwestern Greenland had raised fresh security concerns over Washington's planned missile defense shield.
The deal signed on Friday allows Washington to upgrade the Thule radar to use it in a chain of similar U.S. installations stretching from Alaska to Britain designed to avert potential missile attacks against North America.
In 2001, Moscow bowed to a U.S. decision to abandon the bilateral 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and develop a missile defense system after Washington said it wanted to defend itself against strikes from states like Iran or North Korea.
"The United States has more than once assured us that the future missile defense system will not be targeted against Russia," the Russian Foreign ministry said in a statement.
"However, the very geography of the radar in Greenland gives us reasons to think that even at this stage the U.S. missile defense could potentially threaten Russia's national security."
Reports earlier this year that Washington planned to deploy elements of its missile shield on the territories of new NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe have alarmed Moscow.
"Russia will carefully analyze the situation from the point of view of its own security and reserves the right to take all appropriate measures to maintain it on an appropriate level," the ministry statement said without giving any details.
The Russian military meanwhile, has said it does not believe the U.S. missile shield will be effective and said it will not be a major security problem for Moscow in the next 25-30 years.
"the Thule radar ".... it must be some kind of a radar
Just because it is aimed north doesn't mean Russia in particular. Russia would be overflown by many attack routes from, e.g., Iran, N Kor, China, to the US.
Ping
BMEWS-I. 85-foot diameter, two-faced UHF phased array. They are upgrading from 1970's vintage CDC computers to late 1990's SGI's with added capabilities in tracking and discrimination.
It's a purely defensive capability. Any missile flying from Russia to the continental U.S. on a minimum energy trajectory would have to pass near the North Pole. The penalty in throw weight and accuracy of a shot to the south makes it much less attractive.
========= RUSSIAN MISSILES FOUND IN IRAQ =========
Russian-made R-60, NATO AA-8 Aphid, air-to-air missiles were found..
The Russian-made missiles are >6 feet long. Each carries 3.5 pounds of uranium
wrapped around a high explosive warhead (13.2-pound).
To the russians its to protect against France nukes, when the Muslims take over that rathole.
To the russians=>> Tell the Russians
We didn't complain about their Blintz radar, why is our Danish radar a concern?
Awfully nice of them - especially since us getting out of the treaty didn't need their approval.
Russians are not stupid - and just because Putin is currently a big 'buddy'...
Russians are not stupid - and just because Putin is currently a big 'buddy'...
Get rid of Yamantau ... stop aid to Iran ... etc ....then we can start talking.
FYI
Sure it did. As documented in (i believe) Woodwards book, the media and the Democrats were taking their cues from the Russians. When the Russians didn't freak out over it, the issue just faded away.
If the Russians are pissed, they can always seize Yukos Oil assets again and drive the price oil crazy on the NYMEX. That'll teach us.
Danish radar? I do always seem to find sweets.
What really worries me, now, is this strange device recently found in the Ukraine:
Aahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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